In storage batteries, for example, lead-acid batteries, and other accumulators, it is common practice to apply the active mass (e.g. a lead/lead oxide mass) to a metal carrier which serves as a support for the active mass and as a current collector or current-supply member.
It is also known, in such systems, to apply to the electrode one or more synthetic-resin layers which form pockets in which the active mass is disposed.
Reference may be had to the metal/synthetic resin composite electrode described in German published application (Auslegeschrift) No. 12 31 326 and U.S. Pat. No. 3 060 254. While such composite electrodes have been successful in large measure, it cannot be entirely precluded that the active mass will, as a result of shape change during the charge/discharge cycling and especially swelling and contraction of the electrode, shed the active mass. In other words there is at least a partial loss of the active material as a result of the charge/discharge cycling. The active material appears to deposit outside the synthetic-resin layer or to fall out of the pockets formed thereby. The synthetic-resin layers are usually formed by the sintering of synthetic-resin powder or from a synthetic-resin fibers.
To avoid this problem, it has already been proposed to use tubular constructions for the electrode, these electrodes being referred to generally as sheathed electrodes. In these electrodes, the swelling pressure which is a consequence of volume changes of the active mass, are taken up by the tubes from which the electrode is constituted. Within the tubes there are provided metallic wires serving as current collectors or conductors. The prime difficulty with such electrodes is that they are expensive to fabricate and frequently cannot be made in an entirely reproducible manner so that all of the electrodes made by the process do not have the same characteristics.